Friction-clutch for ensilage-machines.



N. M. BROWN.

FRICTION-CLUTCH FOR ENSILAGB MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED r3112. 1914.

1,11%,Mfi Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

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Clutches for Ensilage-Machines, of which 'NOIIRHIIION' M. BROWN, 0F AURORA, ILLINOIS.

FRICTION-CLUTCH FOE ENSILAGE-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. P b m 15 1915,

Application filed February a, 1914. Serial no. 815,957.

T a all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, NORTON M, Bnowm-a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Aurora, county of Kane, and State 0f.Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Frictionthe following is a specification;

My invention relates to improvements in friction clutches designed for use especially in conjunction with ensilage machines, and has for its object the production of a friction clutch throu h the medium of which the cutter shaft 0 an ensilage machine may be so connected with the driving gear of the machine that in the event of the cutter head.

being suddenly stopped because of some obstruction in the machine or for any reason, the operative connection 'betweensaid shaft and the driving gearing will be automatically broken.

A further'object is the production of a friction clutch as mentioned which will be of which,

Figure 1 is a sectional View of an'ensilage machine showing the cutter thereof in conjunction with ,which is arranged a friction clutch embodying myinvention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the clutch shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 2; is a detail section illustrating a modified form of the Fi s. 1 and 2.

e preferred form of construction as.

illustrated in the drawing is applied to the cutter shaft 1 of an ensilage machine, which shaft, is shownmounted H1 bearings 2 provided in the casing or housin 3 of the machine, Arran ed within the ousin 3 and fixed to thes aft 1 is the" cutter ead 4. Loosely mounted upon shaft 1 is a gear 5 which meshes with the driving gear 6 of the machine, the latter, during operation of the machine'being -continually rotated,

Operative connection between the gear 5 and the shaft 1 is effected by means of friction disks 7 and 8 which are arranged upon gear shown in said shaft at either side of said gear, the d sk being fixed to said shaft, whereas the disk 8 is loosely mounted thereon, The 'arrangement is such, as will be observed, that operative connection between the shaft 1 and gear 5 is established by'pressing disks 7 and 8 into clamping engagement with the opposite sides of said gear, the operative of said gear with said disks. ressing of disks 7 and 8 into frictionalengagement with the o posite sides of gear 5,.as mentioned, is e ected by means of a hand wheel 9 which is threaded upon said shaft at the outer side of disk 8. With this arrangement, it will be seen that operative connection between gear 5 and shaft 1 will be effected by simply tightening the hand wheel 9 into engagement with disk 8, it being clear that, when this is' done, said disk will be pressed into engagement with the adjacent side of said gear, the latter in turn being pressed into frictional engagement with the disk 7. The threads upon shaft 1 are so arranged that in the operation of the machine should the cutter head 4 for any reason be stopped, as by reason of a piece of metal accidentally being fed into the machine, the sudden stopping of the cutter head will result in the release of the hand wheel 9, the latter at this stopping of the cutter head, continuing to rotate by reason of the momentum or inertia thereof, such rotation of said hand wheel, after the stopping-of the cutter head and hence shaft 1, causing the same to be moved from the disk 8, and thereby obviously resulting in the breaking of the at l the peripheral portion of said wheel is especially weighted as clearly shown in Fi 2.

' Provided at the outer endof the s aft 1 is a stop 10 which limits the unscrewing and the gear is greater and therefore perhaps better adapted where the machine is used for heavy work.

The clutch as described is in the nature of a-safety device being adapted to effect automatically the disconnection of the cutter head from the driving mechanism of the machine in case of emergency. Through this provision the life of the blades of the cutter head will be extended since with this arrangement, in the event of a piece of metal or other foreign matter finding its Way into the machine, the cutter head will be instantly stopped when one of the blades thereof contacts with the obstruction.

While i have illustrated and described the Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a shaft and-a -rotatable element loosely mounted upon said shaft, of means for operatively connecting said rotatable element with said shaft; and

means operable by inertia for disconnecting said rotatable element from said shaft, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a shaft and a gear loosely mounted upon said shaft, of means for operatively-connecting said gear with said shaft, said means comprising a friction element engaging against said gear; and means for holding said friction element and gear in operative relation, said last mentioned means being movable by inertia to inoperative position relative to said gear and friction element, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a shaft and a gear loosely mounted upon said shaft, of means for operatively connecting said gear with said shaft said means comprising a friction element engaging against said gear; and means for holding said friction element and gear in operative relation, said last mentioned means being so connected with said shaft that, upon sudden cessation of rotation of said shaft, said means will be moved by inertia to inoperative position relative to said gear and friction element. substantially as described. I

4:. The combination with a shaft and a gearloosely mounted. upon said shaft, 'of

means for operatively connecting said "gear with said shaft, said means comprising a friction element engaging against said gear; and means for holding said friction element shaft, substantially as described.

and gear in operative relation, said last mentioned means being threaded u on said shaft, the threads being so dispose relative to said friction element and the direction.

of rotation of said shaft that, upon sudden cessation of rotation of said shaft, said means will be moved by inertia to inoperative position relative to said gear and to engage against one side of said gear; an

element having a weighted peripheral portion threaded upon said shaft and arranged at the opposite 'side of said gear for press ing the latter into engagement with said friction element, the threads on said shaft and weighted element being so disposed relative to said gear and the direction of rotation of said shaft that, upon sudden cessation of rotation of said shaft, said weighted element will be moved by inertia to inoperative position relative to said gear and friction element, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a shaft and a rotatable element loosely mounted upon said shaft, of means for operatively connecting said rotatable element with said shaft; and means threaded upon said shaft and operable by inertia for disconnecting said r0- tatable element from said shaft, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a shaft and a rotatable element loosely mounted upon said shaft, of means for operatively connecting said rotatable element with said shaft, said means comprising a friction element splined to said shaft and adapted for engagement with said rotatable element; and a member threaded upon said shaft for holding said friction element and said rotatable element in engagement, the threads on said shaft and said member being so disposed relative to said rotatable element and the direction of rotation of said shaft that, upon sudden cessation of rotation of said shaft, said member will be moved by inertia to inoperative position relative to said rotatable element and said friction element, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a shaft and a rotatable element looselymounted upon said shaft, of means for operatively connecting said rotatable element with said shaft; means threaded upon said shaft and operable by inertia for. disconnecting said rotatable element from said shaft; a d a stop on saidshaft spaced from said means, when the latter is inoperative position, to limit outward movement of said means on said masses 9. The combination with a shaft and a rotatable element loosely mounted upon said shaft, of means for operatively connecting said rotatable element with .said shaft, said means comprising a friction element splined to said shaft and adapted for engagement with said rotatable element; a member threaded upon said shaft for holding said friction element and said rotatable element in engagement, the threads on saidshaft and said member being so disposed relative to said rotatable element and the direction N of rotation of said shaft that, upon sudden cessation of rotation of said shaft, said member will be moved by inertia to inoperative position relative to said rotatable element and said friction element; and a stop on said shaft spaced from said member, when the latter is in operative position, to limit the outward movement of said member on said shaft, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to' this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NORTON M. BROWN. Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. Po'rrs, HELEN F. Lmms. 

